People who were disappointed when the second annual Beer-B-Que block party was postponed two weeks ago came out in force Saturday, the event’s rain date, to take in the live music, contests, beer and barbecue and support the Alamance County Sertoma Club.

Once again hosted by The Rusted Bucket Tavern in downtown Burlington, the Beer-B-Que took over portions of Davis and South Main streets – which were more colorful than usual. At the end of South Main Street nearest Front Street, children were drawing pastel designs on the pavement with chalk. A little further down the street, artist Micah Murray was working on a larger-than-life version of Sebastian the crab from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”

A professional artist for more than a decade, Murray has painted murals for the band, Phish, and Bonnaroo music and arts festivals. Brand new to Burlington, Murray said he was in Rusted Bucket recently and heard about the Beer-B-Que and decided to add his own flair.

Just past Murray’s crab, children and adults lined up to be thrown by a mechanical bull Mike Neese of Bad Boy Bullz Productionz brought to the party. Neese also cheered on his 9-year-old son, Austin, as he chomped his way through the pickle-eating contest and managed to down two huge dills – just one short of the winning number.

Like last year, the Beer-B-Que also held a hotdog-eating contest sponsored by Zack’s, but new to the event this year was a double-elimination cornhole tournament. While the tunes from Greymatter pumped through the streets, grown, burly men and children alike tossed pink and purple beanbags against the cornhole boards, vying for first place.

True to the community event atmosphere, several friends of the Rusted Bucket lent personal cornhole boards for the tournament, which added sparks of color up and down East Davis Street. Throughout the day, between band breaks and contests, bar owner Angie Ball called out raffle ticket numbers and handed out loot donated from local individuals and organizations.

Prizes up for grabs included bicycles, coolers, holiday wreaths, an outdoor fire pit, handbags, handmade quilts and vacation packages. What people didn’t win, they could buy from dozens of vendors set up along the streets, selling everything from jewelry and children’s accessories to holiday décor.

Originally, 32 vendors had signed up to participate in the Beer-B-Que, and Ball was concerned the rain delay would cause her to lose several vendors.

“There was a couple that didn’t show up, but I gained more after that,” she said.

The money the vendors paid to participate, plus the raffle ticket and food sales all go to the Alamance County Sertoma Club, Ball said. She had also raised an additional $2,300 in tip sales since July, when Ball started a “guest bartending” program where locals signed up to bartend certain Saturdays and earned tips for the charity.

Page 2 of 2 - Halfway through the day, Ball had no way of knowing how much money was being raised, but representatives from the charity said they were pleased with the turnout.

Wayne Foster, chairman of the board for the Alamance County Sertoma Club, said the money raised from the Beer-B-Que would purchase hearing aids for people who either didn’t have insurance or couldn’t pay for them. He said another of the club’s initiatives would also be supported by the Beer-B-Que funds.

“Our areas of interest are adults and children with speech and hearing problems,” Foster said. Over the years, the club has been working to install sound field systems in as many Alamance-Burlington School System classrooms as possible, to help hearing-impaired children hear their teachers’ every word.

Foster said a sound field system works by amplifying the teacher’s voice and cutting background noise, so that wherever a child may be sitting in the classroom, every word is crystal clear. He projected the Beer-B-Que could raise upwards of $5,000 for the club, and Foster said additionally, individuals in the street had been very generous and handing him and his club members cash donations.

“It’s just been really cool,” Foster said. “It’s just amazing how this county supports even our small group.”